This is Royal Hunt’s fifth album and the first to feature John West on vocals, it was released back in ’99. Keyboardist and leader Andre Anderson wrote everything on the album, and there is a big keyboard presence as there is with the majority of the band’s albums. It’s only seven tracks, but boy do they fit a lot into them.
The album kicks off with the title track and a majestic intro sequence that leads into an epic tune. West has such control over that huge voice, from soft cleans to max overdrive. Killer opening! Faces Of War follows, it opens with a great bass line with some killer keyboard and guitar riffage, and double kicks pounding underneath, definitely my favourite. It has huge classical vibes, and that word epic comes to mind again. Cold City Lights is the most accessible track on the album. It’s a very commercial sounding melody with a killer hook and chorus.
Side 2 kicks in with the fat huge riff of Lies and the accompanying classical intro to go with it. That choppy guitar in the verse gives me huge Saga vibes, but this is euro metal at its finest. Monster ballad time next with Follow Me, emphasis on the monster. Voices follows and again, it’s an another huge majestic intro with the keys set to orchestra mode. Killer harmonies! Onto the last track: Sea Of Time. Superb echo and repeat guitar intro, I love the vocal harmonies.
Really good record!
9/10 from The Grooveman.
